Client Code Field

[TarC6989]

TL;DR:

1. Please remove the Client Code from reports, unless it appears as a separate column (should NOT replace the Contact/Client name in reports)
2. Stop using the entire Client/Contact name for O matters, and instead use the Client Code (the only way the Client Code field is really useful, unless someone has a use case?)
3. Stop replacing the Client/Contact name in Template letters with the Client Code

The Client Code field has so much potential... but it's more of a pain than a boon, as it is currently coded. For example, if I use a Client Code for a Contact, then all reports and template letters show the Client Code instead of the Client's/Contact's actual name - and I haven't been able to find a way to fix this. The Client Code makes sense as a separate column in a report, but mostly to make up the matter code (Attorney Ref) for Other (O) matters. Having a super long matter reference for an "O" file (i.e. "ACME Cleaning and Disposal Company Limited-O0001-US") is very impractical. Using a Client Code (i.e. "ACME-O0001-US") is much cleaner and easier to read.

Thanks!

[gregg_appcoll]

@RichardS3059 - what you really want is {Matter.Client.ShortName} for the client code and {Matter.Client.Name} for the full name. We hope this helps.

• AppColl Support

[RichardS3059]

@TarC6989 You can also see the client name if you click on the field name "Client" in the Matter Details screen.

[TarC6989]

@gregg_appcoll sorry, I didn't explain my issue very well. Please see the included examples, which show where the Client Code is viewable in the Client field of a matter instead of the client's name. The only place where you can also see the client's name is when filtering by Client in a search. It would be nice if the client's name also appeared, like in the filter.

[RichardS3059]

@gregg_appcoll

On further review, I'm a bit confused by both the original posting and your response. There is no Matter.ClientCode field nor a Matter.ClientFull field. There is a Contact.Client field and a Contact.ClientFull field, but at the moment those fields appear unused in Client contact entries and I can't see a way to provide them with any value. There is a Contact.ShortName field, which is what is filled in from the field labeled "Client Code" in a Client contact entry, and a Contact.Name field, which is what is filled in from the field labeled Company in a Client contact entry. There is also a Client.Company field, which appears to be a duplicate of the Contact.Name field.

However, in a Client/Solo Inventor type contact, oddly enough, the Contact.Client field is filled in with the "Client Code" value from the screen and is a duplicate of the Client.ShortName field. And, again only in a Client/Solo Inventor type contact, the Contact.ClientFull field is a duplicate of the Contact.Name field, i.e., the full name of the person, with the Contact.Company field being the Contact.Client field concatenated with the Contact.Name field in parentheses, e.g.,

1999 (John Doe)

This inconsistency between Client and Client/Solo Inventor type contacts is a bad idea, I think, although by now that would be somewhat disruptive to fix.

NB: There is a formatting problem with the Client Code field on the Client-type contact data entry screen. Instead of being aligned with the Client Code: label, the entry field and the small entity checkbox are vertically offset from the field label, unlike any other field on the screen.

The formatting error in the Client type contact doesn't appear in the Client/Solo Inventor type contact:

[RichardS3059]

@gregg_appcoll As far as I can determine, there is no field named {Matter.ClientFull}. It's not listed in the help topic listing all form fields and there is no field by that name that appears in a dropdown for configuring columns to show in a report.

I think what you meant to say is {Matter.Client.Name}. For example, my form letters all start with:

{Matter.ClientContact.PersonalName}
{Matter.Client.Name}
{Matter.ClientContact.Address}

Re: [variable stuff depending on the form letter]
Our file: {Matter.AttorneyRef}

Dear {Matter.ClientContact.NicknameorFirst}:

My {Matter.Client} value (which I presume is what TarC6989 refers to as Client Code) is always a 3- or 4-digit number. My AttorneyRef values are always in the form of

[clientcode]-[matternumber][countrycode][optional extension]

e.g., 1295-0002US.

[gregg_appcoll]

Thanks for your feedback. The original intent of Client Code was to be a shorter and identifiable name for the full client name. So you could use it everywhere and save space in the table view.

You can refer to the full client name in form letters/emails by using {Matter.ClientFull}